BY MIKE PODGORSKI
Sports Writer

For the first time in four years Frankford's Therese Sheerin didn't score the game winning goal in the Public League championship contest in girls soccer.

Last Wednesday it was Kristen Strocen's turn to be the offensive hero as her second half tally lifted Northeast to a 1-0 win over the Pioneers in this season's final at Philadelphia Textile.

"These girls have played like champions for the last three months," Northeast head coach Tony Pisoni said. "I told them before the game that they deserved a championship and I'm glad they have one now."

Freshman goalkeeper Ashley Babiarz earned her second straight playoff shutout for the Vikings by making 16 saves - 11 in the second half.

Other Frankford shots were stopped by a goal post. One attempt early in the tilt hit the crossbar and it dropped in front of the net. In spite of having a few Pioneers ready to jam the ball home nobody was able to do so.

"I guess I got really lucky," Babiarz said. "Our coach said that you need a little luck to win a championship game and it was definitely on our side."

On the other hand Northeast (10-1-2) fired just seven shots at Frankford junior goalie Lisa Bailey - five by Strocen and her fourth turned out to be the difference for the Vikes.

With under 23 minutes left in regulation sophomore fullback Amanda Gibbs hit a corner kick to the Viking attackers in front of Bailey. The ball bounced off several players before finally landing at Strocen's feet. After taking three steps through the middle the junior midfielder booted it into the left corner of the net just inside the post.

"I saw the ball flying all over the place and then all of a sudden it was right in front of me," she said. "I just kicked it and hoped it would go in."

Strocen was the leading goal scorer in the playoffs for Northeast with four and she was the only Viking to score in all three of their post-season matches.

Frankford (9-2-1) had a huge territorial edge in the first half but Pisoni said Northeast made the proper adjustments during intermission and played more aggressively in the second stanza.

"Once we scored the goal it took some wind out of their sails," he said. "There was a little bit of a letdown in their game and it allowed us more time to clear the ball and run time off the clock."

The league crown is the first for Pisoni as a soccer coach at Northeast in four chances.

This was the second trip to the finals for the girls team and he has also taken the boys squad to the title round twice.

"The first one's a charm because it's the hardest one to come by," he said. "Any championship after this one would be gravy for me."

Speaking of firsts the loss for Frankford marked the first and only time in Sheerin's high school career that she was on a club that didn't go all the way.

The senior midfielder will graduate later this month with seven championship rings - four in field hockey and three in soccer.

This year's pick by the Northeast News Gleaner as the Female Athlete of the Year led the Pioneers with nine shots on goal in the losing cause against Northeast.

"It's a sad ending for her," Frankford head coach Bill Snyder said. "But she had four remarkable years at Frankford and it may be a while before any high school athlete will enjoy the success that she had with us."

Northeast outscored its opposition 11-1 in its three- game playoff sweep and it finished the season with a 2-0-1 record against the Pioneers.

With most of this year's cast - including Strocen - returning next spring the Vikings have a legitimate shot at a repeat.

Back to Front Page | News Archives | Contact Us | Advertising

The Week In Review | Police Report | Community Calendar | Trips
Reunions | Movie Reviews | Web Links | Classifieds